┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Crystal Ball - Crystallizer-(RADC-104) + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Jan-07-2019 Encoder......L3.98.4 -V0 --lowpas ║ │ │║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2018 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........15 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.crystal-ball.ch ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Crystal Ball Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Crystallizer-(RADC-104) Label : Radtone ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ I am ashamed. So utterly ashamed. Swiss heavy ║ │ │║ metallers Crystal Ball have been an incredibly ║ │ │║ consistent act over the twenty years of their ║ │ │║ existence, but it has taken me until now to ║ │ │║ catch even a glimpse. This is their tenth album ║ │ │║ for GodÆs sake! The Metal Archives has them ║ │ │║ labelled as æmelodic power metalÆ û and perhaps ║ │ │║ at one point they were û but all IÆm getting is ║ │ │║ pure Judas Priest-worship with an extra layer of ║ │ │║ melodic flair. I pledge to cure myself of my ║ │ │║ ignorance by delving into their back catalogue ║ │ │║ soon, but for now it is their 2018 effort, ║ │ │║ Crystallizer, on the chopping block today. ║ │ │║ Luckily, I wonÆt have to release my verbal ║ │ │║ guillotine this time, as this record totally ║ │ │║ rocks to hell and back! Consistency is once ║ │ │║ again the name of the game for the Swiss metal ║ │ │║ machine, and this LP has it in droves. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Fourteen tracks might seem like overkill for ║ │ │║ this particular style, and in a way that is this ║ │ │║ albumÆs one flaw, but each and every number here ║ │ │║ has its place and is great in its own way. ║ │ │║ Sometimes I feel Crystallizer is too long and ║ │ │║ could cut a track or two to make a more cohesive ║ │ │║ package, but at the end of every song I think ║ │ │║ æNah, thatÆs gotta stay, itÆs too good.Æ Perhaps ║ │ │║ the only misstep is the oddly sad ballad ôExit ║ │ │║ Woundö; itÆs lyrically confusing and a bit of an ║ │ │║ energy dip in the albumÆs latter stages. Then ║ │ │║ again, itÆs a good change of pace after some ║ │ │║ vibrant rockersà Agh! See? I want to criticize ║ │ │║ this record, but Crystal Ball make it difficult! ║ │ │║ Even the album art is great. One thing is ║ │ │║ absolutely certain: Steven Mageney has one hell ║ │ │║ of a voice! If the flow of songs gets a tad ║ │ │║ samey for you, then focus in on his charismatic ║ │ │║ and articulate vocal technique. When he gets ║ │ │║ layered with choral vocals in most choruses, the ║ │ │║ effect is even more stellar. The absolutely ║ │ │║ storming ôBeauty In The Beastö showcases him at ║ │ │║ his best, and might be the best cut on the ║ │ │║ album, although almost every song deserves a ║ │ │║ mention. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Picking highlights is almost an impossibility, ║ │ │║ but those which change the straight up melodic ║ │ │║ heavy metal formula are what earn the most ║ │ │║ praise. The groovy ôDeath On Holy Groundö not ║ │ │║ only has a cracking chorus, but introduces some ║ │ │║ grinding riff work and detuned guitars. ôAlive ║ │ │║ For Evermoreö might be the closest the band come ║ │ │║ to full-on power metal, but other soaring ║ │ │║ choruses include ôGentlemanÆs Agreementö, ║ │ │║ ôSatisfaction Guaranteedö and the ultra-fun ║ │ │║ ôCrazy In The Nightö. Damn, those melodies are ║ │ │║ all so infectious! Speaking of which, just try ║ │ │║ and get the hookline of ôDusty Deadlyö out of ║ │ │║ your head, I dare you: æTheyÆre flying, theyÆre ║ │ │║ dying, completely teeerrifying!Æ Seriously ║ │ │║ entertaining stuff. The record is definitely ║ │ │║ structured correctly, by opening with the ║ │ │║ energetic title-track, and closing with the epic ║ │ │║ ôSymphony Of Lifeö; as its main theme dies away, ║ │ │║ youÆll just want to hit the play button all over ║ │ │║ again.s ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ One sure-fire criticism I can pinpoint is that ║ │ │║ the drums can be a little unimaginative at ║ │ │║ times. Unless IÆm mistaken, I donÆt think we ║ │ │║ even hear a ride cymbal at all until track 11! ║ │ │║ ItÆs refreshing when the vigour picks up on the ║ │ │║ snare-fronted ôBeauty In The Beastö, but ║ │ │║ otherwise, its best just to let the drums become ║ │ │║ a background pillar. There are some admirable ║ │ │║ guitar solos here and there and some mighty fine ║ │ │║ anthemic moments to distract you anyway. Getting ║ │ │║ to know this album inside out has been a real ║ │ │║ motivator to move onto their earlier work, but ║ │ │║ in the meantime, this disc will be spinning over ║ │ │║ and over in my abode. Great production, hymnal ║ │ │║ choruses, cool artwork, memorable vocal lines, ║ │ │║ bouncy riffs, shimmering keyboard effectsàjust ║ │ │║ perhaps a smidge too long? Cynicism aside, ║ │ │║ Crystal Ball rise and they demand their curtain ║ │ │║ call! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Review written by Larry Best for www.metal- ║ │ │║ observer.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Steven Mageney - Vocals ║ │ │║ Tony "T.C." Castell - Guitars ║ │ │║ Scott Leach - Guitars, Keyboards ║ │ │║ Cris "Iron" Stone - Bass ║ │ │║ Marcel Sardella - Drums ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - Crystallizer [03:58] │ │ 02 - Curtain Call [03:35] │ │ 03 - Alive For Evermore [03:49] │ │ 04 - S.O.S. [04:00] │ │ 05 - Crazy In The Night [03:10] │ │ 06 - Gentleman┤s Agreement [04:19] │ │ 07 - Let Her Go With Love [03:03] │ │ 08 - Beauty In The Beast [04:05] │ │ 09 - Death On Holy Ground [04:36] │ │ 10 - Dusty Deadly [03:20] │ │ 11 - Symphony Of Life [05:04] │ │ 12 - Satisfaction Guaranteed (Bonus Track) [04:07] │ │ 13 - Exit Wound (Bonus Track) [04:40] │ │ 14 - Sacred Heart (Bonus Track) [06:18] │ │ 15 - Sign Of The Southern Cross (Bonus Track) [07:24] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [65:28 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘